Connectors and connector kit for attachment of a windshield wiper blade to multiple types of windshield wiper arms

ABSTRACT

A kit for connecting a wiper blade and multiple types of wiper arms, the kit including a container and a set of connectors located within an interior of the container. The set of connectors includes a first connector having a structure to receive and be connected to at least two different wiper arms that are part of a first class of wiper arms. The set of connectors includes a second connector having a structure to receive and be connected to at least two different wiper arms that are part of a second class of wiper arms. The set of connectors includes a third connector having a structure to receive and be connected to at least two different wiper arms that are part of a third class of wiper arms, wherein the first class, the second class and the third class are different from one another.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The present invention relates to a connector for attachment of awindshield wiper blade with multiple types of windshield wiper arms. Thepresent invention also relates to a kit that includes the abovementioned connector.

2. Background Information

Automobiles use a variety of wiper arms to move a wiper blade. Sincewiper blades need to be replaced periodically, a potential buyer of awiper blade often has difficulty in identifying a wiper blade displayedin a store that can be attached to the wiper arm or his or herautomobile. In the past, this situation was addressed by supplyingmultiple connectors in either separate packages or with the wiper bladeitself so that the consumer could match the appropriate connector withthe wiper arm of the consumer's automobile. Often it is hard for theconsumer to easily ascertain which connector is to be attached to thewiper arm in question. Furthermore, the connectors often come asmultiple pieces which can be easy to lose. In addition, there may besituations where the connectors purchased are not appropriate forattachment to the consumer's wiper arm.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One aspect of the present invention regards a kit for connecting a wiperblade and multiple types of wiper arms, the kit including a containerand a set of connectors located within an interior of the container. Theset of connectors includes a first connector having a structure toreceive and be connected to at least two different wiper arms that arepart of a first class of wiper arms. The set of connectors includes asecond connector having a structure to receive and be connected to atleast two different wiper arms that are part of a second class of wiperarms. The set of connectors includes a third connector having astructure to receive and be connected to at least two different wiperarms that are part of a third class of wiper arms, wherein the firstclass, the second class and the third class are different from oneanother.

A second aspect of the present invention regards a connector forconnecting a wiper blade and a wiper arm, the connector including a basefor attachment to a wiper blade and a receiving element attached to thebase. The receiving element having a structure to define the following:a first channel extending along a longitudinal axis of the receivingelement and a second channel extending along the longitudinal axis, thesecond channel being parallel to the first channel. In addition, thefirst channel and the second channel are simultaneously visible asviewed along a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.

A third aspect of the present invention regards a windshield wiper thatincludes a wiper blade, a wiper arm and a connector. The connectorincludes a base attached to the wiper blade and a receiving elementattached to the base. The receiving element having a structure to definethe following: a first channel extending along a longitudinal axis ofthe receiving element and a second channel extending along thelongitudinal axis, the second channel being parallel to the firstchannel, wherein the wiper arm is snugly received in the first channeland said second channel. In addition, prior to the wiper arm beingsnugly received in the first channel and the second channel, the firstchannel and the second channel are simultaneously visible as viewedalong a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.

A fourth aspect of the present invention regards a connector forconnecting a wiper blade and a wiper arm, the connector including a basefor attachment to a wiper blade and a receiving element attached to thebase. The receiving element has a structure for attachment to only oneclass of wiper blade, the receiving element including a support surfaceand an engagement surface spaced from and facing the support surface.The flexible engagement surface and the support surface define a slotdimensioned to snugly receive a surface of a wiper arm. The engagementsurface includes a first side support, a second side support that facesthe first side support and an engagement tongue. In addition, one end ofthe engagement tongue is attached to both the first side support and thesecond side support and an opposite end of the engagement tongue isunattached and has a protrusion that faces the support surface.

A fifth aspect of the present invention regards a kit for connecting awiper blade and multiple types of wiper arms, the kit including acontainer and a set of connectors located within an interior of thecontainer. The set of connectors including a first connector having astructure to receive and be connected to at least two different wiperarms that are part of a first class of wiper arms. The set of connectorsfurther including a second connector having a structure to receive andbe connected to at least two different wiper arms that are part of asecond class of wiper arms and at least two different wiper arms thatare part of a third class of wiper arms, wherein the first class, thesecond class and the third class are different from one another.

A sixth aspect of the present invention regards a connector forconnecting a wiper blade and a wiper arm. The connector including a basefor attachment to a wiper blade and a receiving element pivotablyattached to the base, wherein the receiving element only receives twoclasses of wiper arms. The receiving element includes an attachment thatpivotably couples the receiving element to the base, a recess structuredto receive a first wiper arm and a pivot stop that is positionedadjacent to the recess, wherein when the first wiper arm is received bythe recess, the pivot stop engages the first wiper arm and prevents thereceiving element from pivoting relative to the base. The receivingelement further including a support surface having a pair of flexiblewing stops that face one another and can be pressed towards one another.The receiving element further including an engagement surface spacedfrom and facing the support surface, the flexible engagement surface andthe support surface define a slot dimensioned to snugly receive asurface of a second wiper arm. The engagement surface includes a firstside support, a second side support that faces the first side supportand an engagement tongue. One end of the engagement tongue is attachedto both the first side support and the second side support and anopposite end of the engagement tongue is unattached and has a protrusionthat faces the support surface.

A seventh aspect of the present invention regards a windshield wiperthat includes a wiper blade, a wiper arm and a connector attached to thewiper arm. The connector includes a base for attachment to a wiper bladeand a receiving element pivotably attached to the base, wherein thereceiving element only receives two classes of wiper arms. The receivingelement includes an attachment that pivotably couples the receivingelement to the base, a recess structured to receive a first wiper armand a pivot stop that is positioned adjacent to the recess, wherein whenthe first wiper arm is received by the recess, the pivot stop engagesthe first wiper arm and prevents the receiving element from pivotingrelative to the base. The receiving element further including a supportsurface having a pair of flexible wing stops that face one another andcan be pressed towards one another. The receiving element furtherincluding an engagement surface spaced from and facing the supportsurface, the flexible engagement surface and the support surface definea slot dimensioned to snugly receive a surface of a second wiper arm.The engagement surface includes a first side support, a second sidesupport that faces the first side support and an engagement tongue. Oneend of the engagement tongue is attached to both the first side supportand the second side support and an opposite end of the engagement tongueis unattached and has a protrusion that faces the support surface. Oneor more aspects of the present invention provide the advantage ofproviding a kit with multiple connectors, wherein it is easy todetermine which connector is to be connected with a particular wiperarm.

One or more aspects of the present invention provide the advantage ofproviding the possibility of attaching a wiper blade to multiple wiperarms with a connector of a single piece construction.

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and constitutepart of this specification, and, together with the general descriptiongiven above and the detailed description given below, serve to explainfeatures of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

In the drawings:

FIG. 1A shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a connector forattachment of a windshield wiper blade with multiple types of windshieldwiper arms, wherein the connector is an open position;

FIG. 1B shows a perspective view of the connector of FIG. 1A in a closedposition;

FIG. 1C shows an exploded view of the connector of FIG. 1A;

FIG. 1D shows a perspective view of the connector of FIG. 1A when anembodiment of a J-hook wiper arm is received therein;

FIG. 1E shows a cross-sectional view of the connector of FIG. 1B;

FIG. 2 shows a left side view of the connector of FIG. 1B;

FIG. 3 shows a right side view of the connector of FIG. 1B;

FIG. 4 shows a top view of the connector of FIG. 1B;

FIG. 5 shows a bottom view of the connector of FIG. 1B;

FIG. 6 shows a front view of the connector of FIG. 1B;

FIG. 7 shows a rear view of the connector of FIG. 1B;

FIG. 8A shows a perspective view of a second embodiment of a connectorfor attachment of a windshield wiper blade with multiple types ofwindshield wiper arms;

FIG. 8B shows an exploded view of the connector of FIG. 8A;

FIG. 8C shows a perspective view of the connector of FIG. 8A when an I &L wiper arm is received therein;

FIG. 9 shows a left side view of the connector of FIG. 8A;

FIG. 10 shows a right side view of the connector of FIG. 8A;

FIG. 11 shows a top view of the connector of FIG. 8A;

FIG. 12 shows a bottom view of the connector of FIG. 8A;

FIG. 13 shows a front view of the connector of FIG. 8A;

FIG. 14 shows a rear view of the connector of FIG. 8A;

FIG. 14A schematically shows an enlarged schematic and perspective viewof a portion of the slot formed in the connector of FIGS. 8A-C and 9-14;

FIG. 14B shows a side view of the portion of the slot of FIG. 14A;

FIG. 14C shows a rear view of the portion of the slot of FIG. 14A;

FIG. 15A shows a perspective view of a third embodiment of a connectorfor attachment of a windshield wiper blade with multiple types ofwindshield wiper arms, wherein the connector is an open position;

FIG. 15B shows a perspective view of the connector of FIG. 15A in aclosed position;

FIG. 15C shows an exploded view of the connector of FIG. 15A;

FIG. 15D shows a cross-sectional view of the connector of FIG. 15B;

FIG. 16 shows a left side view of the connector of FIG. 15B;

FIG. 17 shows a right side view of the connector of FIG. 15B;

FIG. 18 shows a top view of the connector of FIG. 15B;

FIG. 19 shows a bottom view of the connector of FIG. 15B;

FIG. 20 shows a front view of the connector of FIG. 15B;

FIG. 21 shows a rear view of the connector of FIG. 15B;

FIGS. 22A-C show three classes of wiper arms to be attached to one ofthe connectors of FIGS. 1-21;

FIGS. 23A-D schematically show processes for attaching the wiper arms ofFIGS. 22A-C with the connectors of FIGS. 1-21;

FIG. 24 schematically shows a kit that includes one or more of theconnectors of FIGS. 1-21 and 25-31;

FIG. 25A shows a perspective view of a fourth embodiment of a connectorin accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 25B shows an exploded view of the connector of FIG. 25A;

FIG. 26 shows a left side view of the connector of FIG. 25A;

FIG. 27 shows a right side view of the connector of FIG. 25A;

FIG. 28 shows a top view of the connector of FIG. 25A;

FIG. 29 shows a bottom view of the connector of FIG. 25A;

FIG. 30 shows a front view of the connector of FIG. 25A; and

FIG. 31 shows a rear view of the connector of FIG. 25A.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIGS. 1A-E and 2-7 show a connector 100 for connecting a wiper blade andmultiple types of wiper arms. The connector 100 includes a base 102 thatis used to attach the connector 100 to a wiper blade. In particular, theunderside of the base 102 includes flexible fingers that engage abracket positioned in the central portion of the wiper blade. An exampleof a possible wiper blade for the connector 100 to be attached to is thewiper blade sold under the name Latitude and distributed under theRain-X trademark by ITW Global Brands. Note that the base 102 can berevised so as to allow attachment to other types of wiper blades, suchas wiper blades made by ADM21 Co., LTD., Anco, Bosch, Corea AutopartsProducing Corp., KCW Corporation, Proline, Trico and Valeo.

The connector 100 includes a receiving element 104 that is pivotablyattached to a top portion of the base 102. In particular, the receivingelement 104 has a pair of holes 105 that face opposite one another. Theholes 105 receive pins 107 (see FIG. 1C) formed on a central raisedportion of the base 102. Thus, the receiving element 102 is able topivot about the pins.

As will be explained hereafter, the receiving element 104 has astructure to receive and be connected to at least two different wiperarms, which are defined to be in only one class of wiper arms. Inparticular, the receiving element 104 has a structure for attachment totwo portions of J-hook wiper arms 132 and 134 as shown in FIGS.22A(1)-(2). As shown in FIGS. 22A(1)-(2), the J-hook wiper arms 132 and134 are of different sizes. For attachment to be accomplished, a lockingcap or cover 106 is pivoted to an open position as shown in FIG. 1A.Pivoting of the locking cap 106 is accomplished by a pair of openings(not shown) that face opposite one another at a lower end of the lockingcap 106. Pins 107 formed at a front lower portion of the receivingelement 104 are inserted into the openings of the locking cap 106mentioned previously. Thus, the locking cap 106 pivots about an axisaligned with the pins from the open position shown in FIG. 1A to aclosed position shown in FIG. 1B.

With the locking cap 106 in the open position, a J-hook wiper arm can beattached to the connector 100 via receiving element 104. In the case ofattaching the smaller J-hook wiper 132 to the receiving element 104, thereceiving element 104 has a structure to define the following: 1) afirst channel 108 extending along a longitudinal axis 110 of thereceiving element; 2) a second channel 112 extending along thelongitudinal axis 110; and 3) a third channel 114 extending along thelongitudinal axis 110. As shown in FIG. 1A, the first channel 108 isparallel to each of the second channel 112 and third channel 114. Inaddition, when the locking cap 106 is fully pivoted to the openposition, each of the channels 108, 112 and 114 can be viewedsimultaneously by a user when viewing along a direction 116perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 110. When the locking cap 106 ispivoted to the closed position shown in FIG. 1B, channels 108, 112 and114 are not visible to the user.

As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1C, the receiving element 104 includes a sidewall 118 and a curved end wall 120 attached to the side wall 118 andextending in the direction 116. The receiving element 104 includes abottom wall 122 attached to the end wall 120 and the side wall 118. Inaddition, the receiving element 104 has a partition 124 attached to theside wall 118. The side wall 118, end wall 120, bottom wall 122 and thepartition 124 define at least in part the first channel 108, secondchannel 112 and third channel 114. In the case of the partition 124, itincludes a first side 126, a second side 128 and a third side 130 thatextend from the side wall 118 in direction 116. As shown in FIGS. 1A and1C, the first side 126 and the side wall 118 define at least in part thefirst channel 108. Furthermore, the second side 128, the third side 130,the side wall 118 and the end wall 120 define at least in part thesecond channel 112. Similarly, the third side 130, the side wall 118,the end wall 120 and the bottom wall 122 define the third channel 114.As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1C, the structure of the receiving element 104is such that each of the first channel 108, second channel 112 and thirdchannel 114 has a width of a standard J-hook wiper arm, such asapproximately 1 cm, as measured in direction 116.

Attachment of the small J-hook wiper arm 132 to the connector 100 isaccomplished by first pivoting the locking cap 106 to an open positionas shown in FIG. 23A(1). At this position, the first channel 108 and thesecond channel 112 are visibly exposed. The small J-hook wiper arm 132is slid into the side of the connector 100 by placing the longer portionof the wiper arm 132 fully into the first channel 108 and sliding thecurved and shorter portions of the wiper arm 132 fully into the secondchannel 112 as shown in FIG. 23A(2). At this stage, the locking cap 106is pivoted downwards so that indents in the locking cover 106 engagelocking protrusions formed in the receiving element 106. The snapping ofthe locking cap 106 into the closed position alerts the user that theJ-hook wiper arm 132 is locked into position.

Attachment of a large J-hook wiper arm 134 to the connector 100 isaccomplished in a manner similar to that as explained previously for thesmall J-hook wiper arm 132. In particular, the locking cap 106 ispivoted to an open position as shown in FIG. 23A(1). At this position,the first channel 108 and the third channel 114 are visibly exposed. Thelarge J-hook wiper arm 134 is slid into the side of the connector 100 byplacing the longer portion of the wiper arm 134 fully into the firstchannel 108 and sliding the curved and shorter portions of the wiper arm134 fully into the third channel 114 as shown in FIG. 23A(2). At thisstage, the locking cap 106 is pivoted downwards so that indents in thelocking cap 106 engage locking protrusions formed in the receivingelement 104. The snapping of the locking cap 106 into the closedposition alerts the user that the J-hook wiper arm 134 is locked intoposition.

Due to the differences in sizes of the J-hook wiper arms 132, 134 andvariations of the sizes of different J-hook wiper arms in general, thereceiving element 104 includes several compensation structures. Forexample, one compensation structure is the end wall 120 that movesgenerally along the longitudinal direction toward the locking cap 106,which allows for accommodation for the larger size of the wiper arm 134.Another compensation structure regards the sides 126 and 128 of thepartition 124, which act as a spring that allows for the insertion ofvarious sizes of J-hook wiper arms. Note that the compensationstructures described above also promote a snug fit between the receivingelement 104 and the J-hook wiper arms.

FIGS. 8A-C, 9-14 and 14A-C show a connector 200 for connecting a wiperblade and multiple types of wiper arms. The connector 200 includes abase 202 that is used to attach the connector 200 to a wiper blade. Inparticular, the underside of the base 202 includes flexible fingers thatengage a bracket positioned in the central portion of the wiper blade.An example of a possible wiper blade for the connector 200 to beattached to is the wiper blade sold under the name Latitude anddistributed under the Rain-X trademark by ITW Global Brands. Note thatthe base 202 can be revised so as to allow attachment to other types ofwiper blades, such as wiper blades made by ADM21 Co., LTD., Anco, Bosch,Corea Autoparts Producing Corp., KCW Corporation, Proline, Trico andValeo.

The connector 200 includes a receiving element 204 that is pivotablyattached to a top portion of the base 202. In particular, the receivingelement 204 has a pair of holes 205 (see transparent view of FIG. 8C)that face opposite one another. The holes 205 receive pins 207 (seeFIGS. 8B-C) formed on a central raised portion of the base 202. Thus,the receiving element 202 is able to pivot about the pins 207.

As will be explained hereafter, the receiving element 204 has astructure to receive and be connected to at least two differentchannel-type wiper arms, which are defined in only one class of wiperarms—single channel wiper arms. Examples of such single channel wiperarms are a Push Tab Button (PTB) wiper arm and an Insert & Lock (I & L)wiper arm. With the above said, the receiving element 204 has astructure for attachment to two portions of either a PTB wiper arm 234(see FIG. 22B(1) or an I & L wiper arm 232 (see FIG. 22B(2).

In the case of the PTB wiper arm 234, the entire wiper arm 234 isaligned with a slot 240 (see FIGS. 8A and 23B(1)) that is defined by thespace between a support surface 242 of the receiving element 204 and anengagement surface 244 that is spaced apart from and facing the supportsurface 242. The slot 240 is dimensioned to snugly receive a top surface210 of the aligned distal end of the PTB wiper arm 234 that is insertedinto the slot 240 as shown in FIGS. 8A and 23B(2). As shown in FIG. 8A,the engagement surface 244 includes a first side support 246 and asecond side support 248 that faces the first side support 246. Theengagement surface 244 further includes an engagement tongue 250,wherein one end 252 of the engagement tongue 250 is attached to bothside supports 246, 248 and an opposite end 254 of the engagement tongue250 is unattached and has a protrusion 255 on the bottom surface of theengagement tongue 250 that faces the support surface 242. The first sidesupport 246 and the second side support 248 move independently of theengagement tongue 250 and vice versa.

FIG. 14A shows an enlarged, schematic view of the receiving element 204,wherein at a right side of the figure a cross-sectional view is shown asdefined by an imaginary vertical plane that intersects rear portions ofthe engagement surface 244 and the support surface 242. As shown inFIGS. 14A-C, the slot 240 is positioned between the support surface 242and the engagement surface 244, wherein the engagement surface 244 isspaced from and faces the support surface 242 as viewed along a verticaldirection V. The engagement surface 244 is substantially parallel to thesupport surface 242 along an entire length of the engagement surface244. The vertical direction V is the same direction at which thereceiving element 204 is arranged above the base 202. The slot 240extends along a length of the engagement surface 244 as viewed along ahorizontal direction H that is perpendicular to the vertical directionV. In addition, the slot 240 includes a side opening 245 defined by thesupport surface 242 and the engagement surface 244, wherein the sideopening 245 (see dashed lines in FIG. 14B) is unencumbered by anyportion of the receiving element 204 when an axis A, which has no endpoints and is parallel to a lateral direction L that is perpendicular toboth the vertical direction V and the horizontal direction H, passesthrough the side opening 245 and does not intersect the receivingelement 204 in any way. Furthermore, the slot 240 has a rear opening 247(see dashed lines in FIG. 14C) that is defined by side supports 246,248, engagement tongue 250, and support surface 242. Note that in FIGS.14B-C, a dot indicates an axis coming out of the page and a circle withan “x” inside indicates an axis going into the page. The opening 247 isintersected by an axis B that is perpendicular to the opening 247 andintersects with and is perpendicular to axis A. From axis A, axis Bextends through the rear portion of the slot 240 (see FIG. 14A) withoutintersecting the receiving element 204 in any way. Thus, the slot 240defines left and right side openings 245 and a rear opening 247 for thereceiving element 204.

Once the top surface 210 of the PTB wiper arm 234 is inserted into theslot 240, the PTB wiper arm 234 is pushed further into the slot 240toward the front end 206 of the receiving element 204 until theprotrusion on the bottom surface of the engagement tongue 250 snaps intoa rectangular opening 212 of the top surface 210 of the PTB wiper arm234. When the snapping sound of insertion of the protrusion 255 throughthe opening 212 is heard, it signals that the PTB wiper arm 234 isattached to the connector 200. Note that during insertion of the PTBwiper arm 234, side flanges 214 of the arm 234 engage lower edges 256 ofthe support surface 242 of the receiving element 204. As shown in FIGS.22B(1) and 23B(1)-(3), the PTB wiper arm 234 has a U-type cross-sectionas defined by a top surface 210 and side flanges 214. When the wiper arm234 is attached to the connector 200 by insertion of the top surface 210into the rear opening 277, an upper face of the top surface 210 of thewiper arm 234 faces the undersides of the engagement surface 244 and theengagement tongue 250. In addition, a lower face of the top surface 210that is opposite to the upper face faces a top face of the supportsurface 242. Furthermore, upon attachment, the side flanges 214, whichare substantially parallel to each other and are connected to andarranged on either side of the top surface 210 so as to be substantiallyperpendicular to the top surface 210, face exterior sides 249 of theside supports 246 and 248 of the engagement surface 244. In addition, atthe locked position, shoulders 216 of the PTB wiper arm 234 are trappedfrom going significantly in a direction away from the front end 206 by apair of flexible wing stops 258 that face one another. The flexible wingstops 258 can be pressed towards one another along a direction that isperpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the slot 240.

Removal of the PTB wiper arm 234 that is locked in position isaccomplished by pivoting upward a release notch 260 on the top surfaceof the engagement tongue 250. Such pivoting causes the protrusion 255 onthe bottom surface of the engagement tongue 250 to be removed from theopening 212 and so the PTB wiper arm 234 can be pulled out of the slot240 once the flexible wing stops 158 are pressed towards one another.

As shown in FIGS. 8C and 23C, attachment of an I & L wiper arm 232 tothe connector 200 is accomplished by first angling and aligning thedistal end of the wiper arm 232 so that it will be inserted into theslot 240 and a channel defined between the side walls of the supportsurface 242. Such angling is needed so that a front edge of curvedportion of the I & L wiper arm 232 can be freely inserted into the slot240. Note that the slot 240 and the channel abut one another and are influid communication with one another with the channel being positionednearer front end 206 of the connector 200 than the slot 240. Once thecurved portion is inserted into the slot 240, the I & L wiper arm 232 ispivoted downward and the top surface of the I & L wiper arm 232 ispushed into the slot 240 toward the front end 206 as shown in FIG.23C(2). Pushing of the wiper arm 232 is continued until shoulders 220ride over the top surfaces of the wing stops 258 and the shoulders 220pass the wing stops 258. As shown in FIGS. 8C and 23C((3), at this pointthe wing stops 258 snap behind the shoulders 220 thus preventing the I &L wiper arm 232 from being moved out of the slot 240. At this pointalso, the curved portion enters the channel and engages a shoulder thathas a shape complementary to the shape of the curved portion. When thesnapping sound of insertion of the wing stops 258 is heard, it signalsthat the I & L wiper arm 232 is attached to the connector 200.

Removal of the I & L wiper arm 232 that is locked in position isaccomplished by squeezing the wing stops 258 towards each other so as toallow the shoulders 220 to move past the wing stops 258 and away fromthe front end 206. With this configuration, the I & L wiper arm 232 canbe removed from the slot 240.

FIGS. 15A-D and 16-21 show a connector 300 for connecting a wiper bladeand multiple types of wiper arms. The connector 300 includes a base 302that is used to attach the connector 300 to a wiper blade. Inparticular, the underside of the base 302 includes flexible fingers thatengage a bracket positioned in the central portion of the wiper blade.An example of a possible wiper blade for the connector 300 to beattached to is the wiper blade sold under the name Latitude anddistributed under the Rain-X trademark by ITW Global Brands. Note thatthe base 102 can be revised so as to allow attachment to other types ofwiper blades, such as wiper blades made by ADM21 Co., LTD., Anco, Bosch,Corea Autoparts Producing Corp., KCW Corporation, Proline, Trico andValeo.

The connector 300 includes a receiving element 304 that is attached to atop portion of the base 302 in such a manner that the receiving element304 is not pivotable relative to the base 302. In particular, thereceiving element 304 has a pair of holes 305 that face opposite oneanother. The holes 305 receive pins 307 formed on a central raisedportion of the base 302. Note that the side walls 308 and 310 of thereceiving element 304 extend downward to such an extent that the bottomsof the side walls almost contact the top surface of the base 302. Suchproximity between the bottoms of the side walls 308 and the top surfaceof the base 302 essentially prevents the receiving element 304 frompivoting relative to the base 302. Note that in an alternativeembodiment, the base 302 and receiving element 304 may be integrallyattached to one another.

As will be explained hereafter, the receiving element 304 has astructure to receive and be connected to at least two different pinwiper arms, which are defined in only one class of wiper arms. Inparticular, the receiving element 304 has a structure for attachment totwo portions of pin wiper arms 332 and 334 as shown in FIG. 22C(1)-(2).As shown in FIGS. 22A(1)-(2), the pin wiper arms 332 and 334 are ofdifferent sizes. For attachment to be accomplished, a locking cap orcover 306 is pivoted to an open position as shown in FIG. 15A. Pivotingof the locking cap 306 is accomplished by a pair of openings (not shown)that face opposite one another at a lower end of the locking cap 306.Pins 309 formed at front lower portions of the opposing side walls 308and 310 of the receiving element 304 are inserted into the openings ofthe locking cap 306 mentioned previously. Thus, the locking cap 306pivots about an axis aligned with the pins from the open position shownin FIG. 15A to a closed position shown in FIG. 15B.

With the locking cap 306 in the open position, a pin wiper arm can beattached to the connector 300 via receiving element 304. In the case ofattaching the smaller pin wiper arm 332 to the receiving element 304,the receiving element 304 includes a pair of recesses or openings 312and 314 in side wall 308 and oppositely facing and identically sizedrecesses or openings 316 and 318 formed in the side wall 310. Therecesses 312 and 316 have a diameter so as to correspond to the diameterof the distal portion of a small pin wiper arm 332. Similarly, therecesses 314 and 318 have a diameter so as to correspond to the diameterof the distal portion of a large pin wiper arm 334.

Attachment of either the large pin wiper arm 334 or the small pin wiperarm 332 is accomplished in a similar manner. In the case of attachmentof the large pin wiper arm 334, the distal end 360 is aligned with therecess 314 as shown in FIG. 23D(2). Next, the distal end 360 is insertedthrough the recess 314 until the distal end 360 is received withinrecess 318 and extends slightly past the exterior of side wall 310. Atthis position, the locking cap 306 is pivoted to the closed position ofFIG. 15B, wherein side indents (not shown) of the locking cap 306 engageside protrusions 322 formed in the side walls 308 and 310. Engagement inthe indents by the side protrusions 322 causes a snapping sound as shownin FIG. 23D(3), which signals that the pin wiper arm is locked intoattachment with the connector 300. Note that in the closed position, ac-shaped indent or surface 324 engages the middle portion 362 of the pinwiper arm 334 and presses the pin in general against the edges of therecesses 314 and 318. The c-shaped indent or surface 324 preferably hasa shape that corresponds to the shape of the middle portion 362.Similarly, when the small pin wiper arm 332 is attached via insertionthrough recesses 312, 316, a smaller c-shaped surface 326 engages amiddle portion of the pin wiper arm 332 when locking cap 306 is closed.Removal of the pin wiper arm 332, 334 is accomplished by moving thelocking cap 306 to the open position of FIG. 15A and pulling the distalend of the pin wiper arm 332, 334 through the corresponding recesses314, 318 and 312, 316.

Note that the distal ends of the pin wiper arms 332, 334 can be firstinserted through the recesses of side wall 308 or the recesses of theother side wall 310. With that said, the receiving element 304 includesc-shaped collars 328 that extend away from the recesses 314, 318 andside walls 308, 310 so as to prevent the distal end 360 of the large pinwiper arm 334 from extending too much past the recesses 314, 318 andexterior of side walls 308, 310 when fully inserted into the receivingelement 304. With the above described connectors 100, 200 and 300 inmind, a kit 400 can be developed that is useful for connecting a wiperblade and multiple types of wiper arms. In particular, the kit 400includes a container 402 that includes within its interior one of eachof the previously described connectors 100, 200 and 300 as shown in FIG.24. The kit can also include one or more wiper blades 404, such as thosedistributed under the Rain-X trademark by ITW Global Brands. Dependingon the type of wiper blade(s) included a suitable base 102, 202, 302will be associated with the receiving elements 104, 204, 304 of theconnectors 100, 200, 300. The shape of the container 402 can varywithout departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, therecould be a separate compartment for each connector and wiper blade(s).There could be a separate compartment for the wiper blade(s) and aseparate compartment where all of the connectors 100, 200, 300 arehoused. The separate compartments could also house other windshieldwiper items, such as film for a wiper blade and instructions on how toconnect the various connectors with a wiper blade and a wiper arm. Otherexamples of possible containers are described in a pending U.S. regularpatent application filed on the same day of filing as the presentapplication, having the title of PACKAGING AND KIT FOR WINDSHIELD WIPERSAND WINDSHIELD WIPER ACCESSORIES, client reference number ITW 61969, theentire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

In another variation of a kit, the kit includes the container 402 whichcontains the previously described connector 100 of FIGS. 1-7 that isdedicated to the class of J-hook wiper arms. In addition, the kitincludes having the container 402 include a hybrid connector 500 that isdedicated to two classes of wiper arms—channel-type and pin type wiperarms. From those two classes, the hybrid connector 500 is able toconnect two types of wiper arms for each class. Thus, the kit with theconnector 100 and the hybrid connector 500 is able to connect threeclasses of wiper arms and six types of wiper arms. In addition, the kitcan contain other windshield wiper items, such as film for a wiper bladeand instructions on how to connect the various connectors with a wiperblade and a wiper arm.

FIGS. 25-31 show a connector 500 for connecting a wiper blade andmultiple types of wiper arms. The connector 500 includes a base 502 thatis used to attach the connector 500 to a wiper blade. In particular, theunderside of the base 502 includes flexible fingers that engage abracket positioned in the central portion of the wiper blade. An exampleof a possible wiper blade for the connector 500 to be attached to is thewiper blade sold under the name Latitude and distributed under theRain-X trademark by ITW Global Brands. Note that the base 502 can berevised so as to allow attachment to other types of wiper blades, suchas wiper blades made by ADM21 Co., LTD., Anco, Bosch, Corea AutopartsProducing Corp., KCW Corporation, Proline, Trico and Valeo.

The connector 500 includes a receiving element 504 that contains many ofthe features of receiving elements 204 and 304 when combined. Inparticular, the receiving element 504 is pivotably attached to a topportion of the base 502. In particular, the receiving element 504 has apair of holes (not shown) that face opposite one another. The holesreceive pins 507 (see FIG. 25B) formed on a central raised portion ofthe base 502. Thus, the receiving element 504 is able to pivot about thepins 507.

As will be explained hereafter, the receiving element 504 has astructure to receive and be connected to at least two differentchannel-type wiper arms, such as PTB wiper arm 234 (see FIG. 22B(1) andI & L wiper arm 232 (see FIG. 22B(2).

In the case of the PTB wiper arm 234, the entire wiper arm 234 isaligned with a slot 540 that is defined by the space between a supportsurface 542 of the receiving element 504 and an engagement surface 544that is spaced apart from and facing the support surface 542. The slot540 is dimensioned to snugly receive a top surface 210 of the aligneddistal end of the PTB wiper arm 234 that is inserted into the slot 540.As shown in FIGS. 25A-B and 28, the engagement surface 544 includes afirst side support 546 and a second side support 548 that faces thefirst side support 546. The engagement surface 544 further includes anengagement tongue 550, wherein one end 552 of the engagement tongue 550is attached to both side supports 546, 548 and an opposite end 554 ofthe engagement tongue 550 is unattached and has a protrusion 555 on thebottom surface of the engagement tongue 550 that faces the supportsurface 542. The first side support 546 and the second side support 548move independently of the engagement tongue 550 and vice versa.

Once the top surface 210 of the PTB wiper arm 234 is inserted into theslot 540, the PTB wiper arm 234 is pushed further into the slot 540toward the locking cap 506 of the receiving element 504 until theprotrusion on the bottom surface of the engagement tongue 550 snaps intoa rectangular opening 212 of the top surface 210 of the PTB wiper arm234. When the snapping sound of insertion of the protrusion 555 throughthe opening 212 is heard, it signals that the PTB wiper arm 234 isattached to the connector 500. Note that during insertion of the PTBwiper arm 234, side flanges 214 of the arm 234 engage lower edges 556 ofthe support surface 542 of the receiving element 504. In addition, atthe locked position, shoulders 216 of the PTB wiper arm 234 are trappedfrom going significantly in a direction away from the locking cap 506 bya pair of flexible wing stops 558 that face one another. The flexiblewing stops 558 can be pressed towards one another along a direction thatis perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the slot 540.

Removal of the PTB wiper arm 234 that is locked in position isaccomplished by pivoting upward a release notch 560 on the top surfaceof the engagement tongue 550. Such pivoting causes the protrusion on thebottom surface of the engagement tongue 550 to be removed from theopening 212 and so the PTB wiper arm 234 can be pulled out of the slot540 once the flexible wing stops 558 are pressed towards one another.

Attachment of the I & L wiper arm 232 to the connector 500 isaccomplished by first angling and aligning the distal end of the wiperarm 232 so that it will be inserted into the slot 540 and a channeldefined between the side walls of the support surface 542. Such anglingis needed so that a front edge of curved portion of the I & L wiper arm232 can be freely inserted into the slot 540. Note that the slot 540 andthe channel abut one another and are in fluid communication with oneanother with the channel being positioned nearer locking cap 506 of theconnector 500 than the slot 540. Once the curved portion is insertedinto the slot 540, the I & L wiper arm 232 is pivoted downward and thetop surface of the I & L wiper arm 232 is pushed into the slot 540toward the locking cap 506. Pushing of the wiper arm 232 is continueduntil shoulders 220 ride over the top surfaces of the wing stops 558 andthe shoulders 220 pass the wing stops 558. At this point the wing stops558 snap behind the shoulders 220 thus preventing the I & L wiper arm232 from being moved out of the slot 540. At this point also, the curvedportion enters the channel and engages a shoulder that has a shapecomplementary to the shape of the curved portion. When the snappingsound of insertion of the wing stops 558 is heard, it signals that the I& L wiper arm 232 is attached to the connector 500.

Removal of the I & L wiper arm 232 that is locked in position isaccomplished by squeezing the wing stops 558 towards each other so as toallow the shoulders 220 to move past the wing stops 558 and away fromthe locking cap 506. With this configuration, the I & L wiper arm 232can be removed from the slot 540.

As shown in FIGS. 25A-B, the receiving element 504 has a structure toreceive and be connected to two different sizes of pin wiper arms. Forexample, receiving element 504 can be attached to pin arm wiper arms332, 334 as shown in FIGS. 22C(1)-(2). For such attachment, a lockingcap or cover 506 is pivoted to an open position. Pivoting of the lockingcap 506 is accomplished by a pair of pins (not shown) that face oppositeone another at a lower end of the locking cap 506. The pins are insertedinto corresponding openings formed in opposing side walls 508 and 510 ofthe receiving element 504. Thus, the locking cap 506 pivots about anaxis aligned with the pins from the open position to a closed positionshown in FIGS. 25A and 26-31.

Note that while connector 500 has been described so that the receivingelement 504 and locking cap 506 pivot about different axes of rotation,it is possible to reconfigure the connector 500 so that the receivingelement 504 and locking cap 506 pivot about a common axis of rotation.

With the locking cap 506 in the open position, a pin wiper arm can beattached to the connector 500 via receiving element 504. The connector500 can accommodate multiple sizes of pin arms, such as the small andlarge wiper pins 332, 334. This is accomplished in part by forming apair of recesses or openings 512 and 514 in side wall 508 and oppositelyfacing and identically sized recesses or openings 516 and 518 formed inthe side wall 510. The upper recesses 512 and 516 have a diameter so asto correspond to the diameter of the distal portion of a small pin wiperarm 332. Similarly, the lower recesses 514 and 518 have a diameter so asto correspond to the diameter of the distal portion of a large pin wiperarm 334.

Attachment of either the large pin wiper arm 334 or the small pin wiperarm 332 is accomplished in a similar manner. In the case of attachmentof the large pin wiper arm 334, the distal end 360 is aligned with therecess 514. Next, the distal end 360 is inserted through the recess 514until the distal end 360 is received within recess 518 and extendsslightly past the exterior of side wall 510. At this position, thelocking cap 506 is pivoted to the closed position wherein sideprotrusions 520 of the locking cap 506 engage indents 522 formed in theside walls 508 and 510. Engagement in the indents 512 by the sideprotrusions 520 causes a snapping sound, which signals that the pinwiper arm is locked into attachment with the connector 500. Note that inthe closed position, a c-shaped indent or surface 524 engages the middleportion 362 of the pin wiper arm 334 and presses the pin in generalagainst the edges of the recesses 514 and 518. The c-shaped indent orsurface 524 preferably has a shape that corresponds to the shape of themiddle portion 362. Similarly, when the small pin wiper arm 332 isattached via insertion through recesses 512, 516, a smaller c-shapedsurface 526 engages a middle portion of the pin wiper arm 332 whenlocking cap 506 is closed. Removal of the pin wiper arm 332 isaccomplished by moving the locking cap 506 to the open position andpulling the distal end of the pin wiper arm 332 through the recesses 514and 516.

Note that the receiving element 504 includes a c-shaped collar 528 thatextends away from the recess 514 and side wall 508 so as to prevent thedistal end of the wiper arm from extending too much past the recess 518and exterior of side wall 510.

As mentioned previously, moving the cover cap 506 to the closed positionlocks the pin wiper arm into position. It should be pointed out thatduring the insertion of the pin wiper arm 332, 334 into the receivingelement 504, the distal end of pin wiper arm 332, 334 engages eitherindents 531 or indents 533 of pivot stop 530 of the base 502 (see FIG.25B) that are positioned within the interior of the receiving element504. Such engagement depends on whether the pin wiper arm is insertedinto recesses 512, 516 or recesses 514, 518. In addition, simultaneousengagement of the pin wiper arm to the recesses and the indents preventsthe receiving element 504 from pivoting relative to the base 502.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes could bemade to the embodiments described above without departing from the broadinventive concept thereof. It is understood, therefore, that thisinvention is not limited to the particular embodiments disclosed, but itis intended to cover modifications within the spirit and scope of thepresent invention as defined by the appended claims. In addition, designaspects of the connectors 100, 200, 300 and 500 in whole or withouttheir respective bases 102, 202, 302 and 502 are possible.

We claim:
 1. A connector for connecting a wiper blade and a wiper arm,the connector comprising: a base for attachment to a wiper blade; areceiving element directly attached to and pivotable with respect tosaid base and said receiving element is arranged above said base asviewed along a vertical direction, wherein said receiving element has astructure for attachment to only one class of wiper arm, said receivingelement comprising: a support surface; a flexible engagement surfacespaced from and facing said support surface as viewed along saidvertical direction, wherein said engagement surface is substantiallyparallel to said support surface along entire length of said engagementsurface, wherein said flexible engagement surface and said supportsurface define a slot therebetween to snugly receive a surface of awiper arm, and wherein said slot extends along a length of saidengagement surface as viewed along a horizontal direction that isperpendicular to said vertical direction, and said support surface andsaid engagement surface define a side opening that is unencumbered byany portion of said receiving element when a first axis, which has noend points and is parallel to a lateral direction that is perpendicularto both said vertical direction and said horizontal direction, passesthrough said side opening and does not intersect said receiving elementin any way, wherein said engagement surface comprises: a first sidesupport; a second side support that faces said first side support; andan engagement tongue, wherein one end of said engagement tongue isattached to both said first side support and said second side supportand an opposite end of said engagement tongue is unattached and has aprotrusion that faces said support surface.
 2. The connector of claim 1,wherein the first side support and said second side support moveindependently of said engagement tongue and vice versa.
 3. The connectorof claim 1, wherein said support further comprises a pair of flexiblewing stops that face one another and can be pressed towards one anotheralong a direction that is perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of saidslot.
 4. The connector of claim 1, wherein said class is channel armtype wiper arms.
 5. The connector of claim 4, wherein said one class ofwiper arm encompasses either an I & L wiper arm or a PTB wiper arm. 6.The connector of claim 1, wherein said protrusion pivots about an axisthat is perpendicular to said longitudinal direction and pivots towardsor away from said base.
 7. A connector for connecting a wiper blade anda wiper arm, the connector comprising: a base for attachment to a wiperblade, wherein said base comprises a pivot stop; a receiving elementpivotably attached to said base, wherein said receiving element onlyreceives two classes of wiper arms, said receiving element comprising:an attachment that pivotably couples said receiving element to saidbase; a recess structured to receive a first wiper arm, wherein saidpivot stop is positioned adjacent to said recess, wherein when saidfirst wiper arm is received by said recess, said pivot stop engages saidfirst wiper arm and prevents said receiving element from pivotingrelative to said base; a support surface comprising a pair of flexiblewing stops that face one another and can be pressed towards one another;a flexible engagement surface spaced from and facing said supportsurface, said flexible engagement surface and said support surfacedefine a slot dimensioned to snugly receive a surface of a second wiperarm, wherein said engagement surface comprises: a first side support; asecond side support that faces said first side support; and anengagement tongue, wherein one end of said engagement tongue is attachedto both said first side support and said second side support and anopposite end of said engagement tongue is unattached and has aprotrusion that faces said support surface.
 8. The connector of claim 7,wherein the first side support and said second side support moveindependently of said engagement tongue and vice versa.
 9. The connectorof claim 7, wherein said engagement tongue comprises a release notchthat is located on a side opposite of said protrusion.
 10. The connectorof claim 7, wherein said pair of flexible wing stops can be pressedtowards one another along a direction that is perpendicular to alongitudinal axis of said slot.
 11. The connector of claim 7, whereinsaid pivot stop is integral with said base.
 12. The connector of claim7, wherein said receiving element has a structure to receive and beconnected to at least four different wiper arms belonging to said onlytwo classes of wiper arms.
 13. The connector of claim 12, wherein saidat least four different wiper arms are an I & L wiper arm, a PTB wiperarm, a first pin wiper arm and a second pin wiper.
 14. The connector ofclaim 7, wherein said receiving element comprises a cap that has anindent, wherein said cap pivots from an open position to a closedposition, wherein at said closed position, said indent engages saidwiper arm received by said recess.
 15. The connector of claim 7, whereinsaid receiving element comprises a second recess to receive a wiper armand wherein said receiving element comprises a cap that has a pair ofindents, wherein said cap pivots from an open position to a closedposition, wherein at said closed position, said indent engages saidwiper arm received by either said recess or said second recess.
 16. Theconnector of claim 7, wherein said only two classes of wiper arms arechannel-like wiper arms and pin-type wiper arms.
 17. The connector ofclaim 7, wherein said protrusion pivots about an axis that isperpendicular to said longitudinal direction and pivots towards or awayfrom said base.
 18. The connector of claim 7, wherein said receivingelement extends along a longitudinal direction and said flexibleengagement surface is spaced from and facing said support surface in adirection perpendicular to said longitudinal direction and toward saidbase, wherein said flexible engagement surface and said slot extendalong said longitudinal direction.